Traction-engine.



0. B. MINES.

TRACTION ENGINE, APPLICATION min APR. 8; ma.

1,287,097. Patented Dec; 10, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

WITNESS:

A TTORNEYS.

0. B. RAINES.

TRACTION ENGINE: APPLICATION FILED APR- B. IBI B- 997 Patented Dec.10,1918- H a SHEETSTSHEAET 2- Q Q. t &? Q? 2 I H. i E;

I x FE I: N N i WITNESS: INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS 0, B; RAINES; macnou mama; "APPLICATION HLED- APR. 8, IQIB.

- Patent-ed Dec. 10 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET' 3.

IN VENTOR.

' ATTORNEYS.

OTIS RAINES, 0F MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA.

TRACTION-ENGINE.

meteor.

specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Application filed April 8, 1918. Serial No. 227,172.

To all :whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O'ns B. Runes, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Mountain View, in the countyof Santa Clara and State of California, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to the class of tractors, and has particularreference tothat type in which the power is applied to all the wheels.

' The object of my invention is to provide simple and effective meansfor transmitting the power to the front wheels without impairing theirsteering function and control; and to this end my invention consists inthe novel traction-engine "which I shall hereinafter fully describebyreference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of'the machine.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same. i

Fig. 3 isa part sectional detail, enlarged, of the variable speedtransmission mechanism.

'Fig. 4 is a plan View, enlarged, and partly in section of the variablespeed transmission mechanism showing the upper shaft driven thereby.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation, enlarged, of theequalizing planetarytransmission and mechanism to drive the front wheels. 7

Fig. 6 is a detail plan section of the lower portion of the front wheeldrive.

1 is the tractor frame, having at the rear the wheels 2 mounted forindependent rotation upon a fixed axle 3.

These; rear wheels are driven by a motor indicated diagrammatically by4, and supplied with fuel from a tank 5 carried by rackets 6 or othersuitable supports from i the frame.

- The motor shafit 7 is coupled by a knuckle at 8 to 'ashaft 9 -(seeFig. 3) the power of which is transmitted through any suitable form ofvariable speed mechanism herein sufficiently indicated in Fig.3 ascomprising a variable speed device of the selective gear type involvingthe slide gears 10, coaeting with the high gear 11, reverse 12 and lowgear 13, the latter gears being mounted on a shaft'14, all inclosed in asuitable gear case 15 and the slide gears being operated by any usualconnections, unnecessary to show. The rear end of the variable s eedshaft 14 carries a bevel pinion 16 w ich issuing shaft.

meshes with a bevel gear 17 on a cross shaft 6 18 lying above andparallel with the axle,

said cro'ssshaft carrying roller pinions 19, as shown in Fig. 4,whichmesh with inten, nal gears 20 carried by the wheels 2, as seen inFig. '1. 18, Fig. 4, indicates the difierential in the shaft 18. i

21 are the front wheels one on each side, both carried on an axle 22mounted in suitable forks 23 depending from a turntable '24 mountedsuitahly in atable frame 24 of the frame 1. I

Steering movement is imparted to the front wheels 21, through a. wormgear 25., Figs. 1 and 2, carried by the turntable 24, with which wormgear a worm pinion 26 on thesteering rod 27 engages, said rod beingoperated by a hand crank wheel 53 under the control of the driver on theseat 54.

The front wheels 21 are driven by-niechanism as follows :--From thevariable speed shaft 14 motion is transmitted from a sprocket 28thereon, Fig. 3, through a chain 29, Fig. 1, in a housing 29, to asprocket 30, Fig. 4, on a forwardly extending shaft 31, which b aknuckle 32 is coupled to the en tering s aft 33 of a planetarytransmission, comprising parts and functions as follows, and shown bestin Fig. 5. v 34 is a housing mounted'for rotation on its axis. Into oneside of this'housing and rotatable thereindsads the entering shaft 33which is hollow inorder to receive and furnish a long bearing for theissuing shaft 35 which enters the housing from the other side and isrotatable therein.

The first or entering shaft :33 carries a gear 36, and the second orissuing shaft carmitted to rotate the issuing shaft 35 in the oppositedirection, while the housing 34 tends to turn in a direction opposite tothe The forward end of .the issuing'shaft 35 "carries. a bevel pinion 42which meshes with a bevel pinion 43 on the upper end ofa verticalspindle 44, which passes axially its like 3 through the turntable andcarries on its lower end avbevel pinion 45. This latter pinion mesheswith'a bevel gear 16 on a cross shaft at? lying above and parallel withthe axle of the front wheels. The cross shaft 47 earries,'as.shown inFig. 6, roller pinions 4-8 which mesh with internal gears 49 carried bythe front wheels, Fig. 1.

Thus the front wheels are driven.

In order to counteract the tendency of the turntable to move on its axisunder strains imposed on the front wheels tending to retard theirrotation, and thus to equalize the resistance to the normal operation ofsteering through the rod the -rotatable housing 34. of the planetarytransmission is provided on its front side with an annular bevel gear 50which meshes with a bevel gear 51, on a sleeve 52, surrounding thespindle 44- and secured at its lower end to the turntable.

Thus the turntable is automatically held and the strains equalized, sothat it can be properly controlled for steering purposes through thesteering rod 27.

l claim V i, In a traction-engine, the combination of rear Wheels; :1motor; power transmitting connections from the motor toxdrive the rearwheels; front wheels; a turntable associated with the front wheels;means fo' operating thevturntable to steer said whe ls; powertransmitting connections leading through the axis of the turntable todrive the front wheels; and means associated with said last namedconnections for automatically counteracting the turning tendency of theturntableunder load strain imposed on the front wheels. b

21in a traction-engine, the combination of rear wheels; a motor, powertransmitting connections comprising a variable speed shaft to drive therear wheels; front wheels; a turntable associated with said frontwheels; means for operating the turntable to steer said wheels; powertransmitting con nections from the variable speedshaft, lead ing throughthe axis of the turntable to drive the front wheelsgand means associatedwith said last named connections for automatically counteracting theturning tendency of the turntable under load strain imposed on the frontwheels. i

3. In a tracelomengine; the combination of rear Wheels a motor; powertransmitting connections from the motor to drive the rear wheels;frontwheels; a turntable associated with said front wheelsi means foroperating the. turntable to steer said wheels; and powertransniittingconnections leading through the axis of the turntable todrivethe front wheels and to automatically counteract the turningtendency of the turntable under load strain imposed on the front wheels,said connections comprising a planetary system including gears to drivethe wheels means? and oppositely moving gears affecting the turntable. v

4. In a traction-engine, the combination of rear wheels; a motor; powertransmitting connections eouu'irising a variable speed shaft to drivethe rear wheels; front wheels; a turntable associated with said frontwheels; means for operating the turntable to steer said wheels; powertransmitting con nections from the variable speed shaft, leading throughthe axis ofthe turntable to drive the front wheels and to aulomatieallycounteract the turning tendency of the turntable under load strainimposed on the front wheels, said connections comprising a planetarygear system including gears to drive the wheels and oppositely movinggears affecting the turntable.

5. In a traction-engine, the combination of motor driven rear wheels;front steering wheels; a turntable through which the front wheels aresteered; and means for driving said front wheels consisting of a motordriven shaft; a rotatable housing into one said shaft within thehousing; a second shaft enterihg the other side of the' housing; a gearon said second shaft within the housing; a double annular series ofpinions car ried by the housing, said pinion series meshing respectivelywith the shaft gears. and also overlapping and inte'mieshing with eachother; gearing between said second .shaft and the front wheels, andgearing between said housing and the turntable.

6. In a traction-engine, the combination of rear-wheels; a motor; powertransmitting connections including a variable speed mechanism to drivethe rear Wheels; front steering wheels; a turntable through which thefront wheels are steered; "and means for driving said front wheels,consisting of a shaft, connections to drive said shaft from the variablespeed mechanism; a rotatable housing into one side of which said shaftenters; a gear onsaid shaft within the housing; a second shaft enteringtheother side of the housing; a gear onsaid second shaft within thehousing; a double annular series of pinions carried by the housing, saidpin- 10H series meshing respectively with the shaft gears and alsooverlapping and intermcshing with each other, gearing between saidsecond shaft and the front wheels, and gearing between said housing andthe turntable. p

7. In a traction-engine, the combination of motor driven rear wheels;front steering wheels; a turntable through which the front shaftentering theother side of the housing;

a gear on said second shaft within the housing; a double annular seriesof pinions carried by the housing, said pinion-series meshingrespectively with the shaft gears and also overlapping and interineshingwith each other; a rotatable s indle passing down through the axis ofthe turntable; gears to drive said spindle from said second shaft: across shaft; gears to drive said cross shaft from'the spindle; gears todrive the front wheels from the cross shaft; a sleeve secured to theturntable and surrounding the spindle; and gears connecting therevoluble housing and thesleeve. J

8. In a traction-engine, the combination of rear-Wheels; a motorpowertransmitting connections including a variable speedmech-- anism todrive the rear Wheels; front steering wheels; a turntable through whichthe front Wheels are steered; and means for driving said front Wheels,consisting of a shaft, connections to drive said shaft from the variablespeed mechanism; a rotatable housing intoone side of which said shaftdrive the front wheels from the cross-shaft;

a sleeve secured to the turntable and surrounding the spindle; and gearsconnecting the revoluble housing and the sleeve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses. 1-,

OTIS B. RAINES. Witnesses:

VVM. F. Boom, D. B. RICHARDS.

